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en·tre·pre·neur / äntrəprəˈno͝or/

A person who organizes and operates a business or businesses, taking on financial risk to do so.

Entrepreneurs are game-changers.

By their very nature, they are re-inventors, originators of fresh ideas.

In their day-to-day activities, they take risks and pursue their dreams so that they can continue to push the boundary in their chosen industry.

We believe Baton Rouge is a very healthy environment for entrepreneurs. There is a community here that truly embraces the entrepreneurial spirit. Big Fish has been fortunate to grow up in this area, learning from and interacting with the various entrepreneur groups and businesses. Along the way, we have picked up a few tricks of the trade that have worked for us and that we believe can help you in your ventures, whether they are entrepreneurial or not.

So, here are a few tips we’d like to share with you: The 3 T’s of entrepreneurship

Talent

Simply put, great work comes from great talent. If you want the best for your business you need the best skills on your team. You want the best hired guns to get the job done. You want quality, not quantity. However, this doesn’t mean that you should always hire the brains over the personality. It means that not just any group can succeed. The group functionality depends on many variables. A five-star team can be built in many ways, which leads me to my next “T.”

Team

A company is only as strong as the many elements of which it is made up. The efforts of a single person or small group of people is definitely influential. However, in order to make a true impact on the world, there has to be trust (which could be a fourth “T,” but odd numbers rule) throughout the entire organization. One bad attitude or lazy work ethic can “ruin the bunch.” Having a cohesive crew of hardworking people makes a bigger splash than a few extremely talented ones.

Trends

Most entrepreneurs exist because they want to change something. We noticed something in our daily lives, and at one point said, “Hey, I can do that better and differently!” It is important to follow trends because it’s a great way a company can keep re-inventing itself. Without change, without adaptation, companies would keep following the same business model, and eventually become stale and stagnant. Now, the other side of this “T” is not always following trends, but setting them. This is the more powerful side of trends. Being a trendsetter is very risky, but if pulled off correctly will pay for itself tenfold.

So, there you have it, the three T’s of entrepreneurship. Again, these aren’t commandments or even rules, but simply tips that have worked for us in the past and which we definitely look to in our ventures.

Keep in mind, these are only our takes on entrepreneurship. We aren’t so arrogant as to think we know more about it than most. No, not at all. In fact, we have much, much more to learn in our business practices, and are on the lookout for the latest ideas and concepts. We have put some of our ideas to the test, and it has paid off thus far. We have entered several contests, and have been lucky to have been mentioned a few times in the Baton Rouge area, as well as a bit of national attention.

After some time and hard work, we are in the final round for Inc.com‘s “Coolest College Start-Ups” contest. We made it through 200 companies and are now in the top 18 nationally. The voting process to be labeled the coolest college start-up has begun, and we are trying to rally everyone to vote for us. We entered a pitch video based on a Goodfellas scene that pitches our company for the contest. If you get a chance, go “like” our video here.

We are giving it our best shot, using these 3 T’s along the way. We are always optimistic about the future, and we love our community. Baton Rouge has played a crucial role in our growth and our passion. We believe that we are surrounded by young, talented individuals that help us to understand what it takes to be successful.